The private solution trap in collective action problems across 34 nations
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026
This cross-national study examines collective action problems in which individuals can choose between public contributions and private solutions. The project contributes evidence on how private adaptation opportunities can alter cooperation dynamics in globally relevant policy problems.
Recommended citation: Malthouse, E., Pilgrim, C., Sgroi, D., Accerenzi, M., Alfonso, A., Ashraf, R. U., Baard, M., Banerjee, S., Belianin, A., Bhattacharjee, S., Bhattacharya, M., Branas-Garza, P., Cardenas, J., Carriquiry, M., Choi, S., Clochard, G., Denzon, E. E., Dessoulavy-Sliwinski, B., Dini, G., Dong, L., Ertl, A., Exadaktylos, F., Filiz-Ozbay, E., Flecke, S. L., Galeotti, F., Garcia-Munoz, T., Hanaki, N., Hollard, G., Horn, D., Huang, L., Iris, D., Kiss, H. J., Koch, J., Kovarik, J., Kwarteng, O. K. B., Lange, A., Leites, M., Leung, T. H., Lim, W., Morren, M., Nockur, L., Okyere, C. Y., Oudah, M., Ozkes, A. I., Page, L., Park, J., Pfattheicher, S., Proestakis, A., Ramos, C., Ramos-Sosa, M., Sanjaya, M. R., Schwaiger, R., Sene, O., Song, F., Spycher, S., Stanek, R., Tanchingco, N., Tavoni, A., te Velde, V., Vazquez-De Francisco, M. J., Visser, M., Wang, J. T., Wang, W., Weng, W., Werner, K., Wijayanti, A., Winkler, R., Wooders, J., Ying, L., Zhen, W., & Hills, T. (2026). The private solution trap in collective action problems across 34 nations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 123(12), e2504632123.
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